The Trail – 22nd March 2024

A resplendent hall of brown and greys
Escher lines, a maze, amaze
Djinns in from the desert dunes
Rest before the trail resumes

Submitted to WDYS #230 and Moonwashed Musings


Today I’m feeling:

Phlegmy and short of breath.  I slept fairly well but yesterday another piece of porcelain fell off one of my teeth and has made it sensitive.  One tooth fixed, another one broke!

Today I’m grateful for:

A storm!  Hooray!  I noted last year that we had a storm around this time in March which cleared the air for a while, but then got much worse as more fires were lit once it dried out again, which doesn’t take long.  The forecast is for ten or more days of 35-degree plus sunny weather after today!  Oh well, enjoy the air while it is breathable.

The best thing about today was:

Getting some positive feedback on some of my poetry and being inspired to write more, as well as trying to read and appreciate more of what others write.

Something I learned today?

My old student, and Baipad’s best friend, Jan will change schools to Sammakhi next semester.  I hope Baipad doesn’t miss her too much though she knew that they wouldn’t be in the same class next year anyway, so she was hopefully a little prepared to accept this news.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

Again, I randomly messaged a few of my students to chat and encourage them in their holidays.  Tonaor was having a bad time with a boy so I comforted and encouraged her.  And of course, I congratulated Jan on getting into Sammakhi.

I also messaged Nice, my old primary student, who I will teach again next semester.  I asked for her input to help me plan what to teach them and she was very helpful, which I really appreciated.

When I got home at lunchtime Amy wanted to take Cap to the vet, which was ok with me.  In the end, I’m glad we did as one of his blood levels was slightly high and they recommended for him to stay in a couple of days on a drip to help stabilise that because it can become more critical.

Amy took this picture because the surprise morning storm blew all the smoke away to reveal the blue sky again. Though only for an hour or two!

Imagine – 7th February 2024

In my head
I lost my mind
Imagining red
Colourblind

Absent a shadow
No friend follows
A poisoned arrow
No more tomorrows

No peace of mind
Imagined I
None could find
Or satisfy

Coming back
To my senses
None so black
Beat my defences

Submitted to dVerse


Today I’m feeling:

A little sick with a sore throat and lack of energy.  I skipped my alarm and exercise for an extra 30 minutes of sleep.  I’m hoping not to have to do too much at school today.  I could do with an afternoon nap and I’m saying that now before it’s even 8 am.

(10 am) And there we are, the tipping point.  Lazily wandering from place to place and eventually being told there’s nothing for us to do today.  So here I am back at House for coffee number two.

Today I’m grateful for:

Lots of free time in which I could read, write and learn whilst sipping coffee and then later spending a couple of hours reading comics in bed, where I did indeed, enjoy an awesome afternoon nap.

The best thing about today was:

Hanging out with Michael and David for a little while this morning and then lazily walking from school to where some of the kids were doing the zip-line and we watched for a few minutes, ducked away and walked back again.  The temperature was ok for the most part and once off the highway, the walk was quite pleasant.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

The typical dysfunction of Scout week activities at school used to bug me but now I listened to how they bugged David instead and accepted the advantages that we can get from it.

Something I learned today?

Andrew Huberman is into Rancid.

25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO –  13. Be Nice. I don’t mean you should be a pushover. You can be someone that doesn’t take shit and be nice about it. Just don’t insult people, think you’re better than them, or act like an idiot.

I’m a lot nicer than I used to be.  I don’t insult people or think that I am better than others anymore but I probably am still prone to acting like an idiot every now and then.  One would hope that we are all a lot nicer than we used to be but then you meet some people…..

I took this picture because these flowers have decided to grow, against the odds.

The Sinners – 24th January 2023

Cold eyes watch the quiet shuffle
Into the box of hungry confession
A crust of bread, two glasses of water
A dogmatic ritual obsession
Mary and St John aside the cross
Glare ominous at this loathsome boy
Bowing down, accepting absolution
Returning soon cleansed with joy

*based on Anton Chekov’s In Passion Week


Today I’m feeling:

Happy though I have a runny nose and feel a little run down.

Today I’m grateful for:

My students Nice and Stamp keeping me up to date with their classmates’ news and gossip, though it made me a little sad to see them all splitting up at the end of the semester.

The best thing about today was:

Getting my work permit sorted without any waiting time or problem.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

Baitoey decided to tell her mum that she went to the hospital and that I took her. Her mum then called the school to ask if they knew about this and eventually Kru Tongjai contacted me about it. She said that she has to be informed if any of her students go outside the school just in case anything happens, which I understand. The thing is that I didn’t know who I should have contacted at the time and I wondered if Baitoey would have still wanted me to take her to the hospital if she had to tell Kru TJ first. I knew it was a delicate situation and could cause me trouble but I considered Baitoey’s trust and health first.

Something I learned today?

Talking with Nice today she told me about her own battles with her mental health and showed me where she had cut herself on her arms. She also mentioned that she didn’t know what to believe about Boss and Baitoey because they have a history of being flexible with the truth. It did make me consider that perhaps they had lied to me but I don’t think so. Even if things weren’t quite as they said they are still obviously having issues and maybe not sure how to express themselves.

What values will guide my choices this year?

Fairness, kindness, understanding. As generalisations at least! What choices will I face? There are none of significance on the immediate horizon.

I took this picture because it was the last one before my battery ran out, taken at the Kasalong Restaurant, PB Valley on Saturday. No new pictures today.